Diathermic apparatus



J. PERNET DIATHERMIC APPARATUS Aug. 30, 1927. 154L095 Filed Aug. 23, 1926 Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

N D STATE-KS PATENT oFFica j wa remnant, or ma swmmmn,

I mammals arraasrvsr gpplipatign res a astgs, lags, Serial Nor 1si',o5fc,a a in. Switzerland September so, 1925.

The-subject matter of the present invention is a diathermic apparatus for treating the scrotum, particularly i'n'case of epididj ymitis gonorrhoicaby n eans of an" elecfi trodel'a ra ge in a cncn t r. A successful treatment ofthis" disease commonly termed inflammation ofth testicle's by means fdiathermy could not be arrie/dent her ofore as e e ry an p u p lying high q y r Q-the afi cted. Par e e o a lable.

The in r ase s ns b i y ag n p n a the peculiarshape of the organ'in question wholly excliiflcdfthel application under pres s r of any @Qntact ianaas th wi 'e on account of a local concentration of the cur:

' rent at the places i whi t e-pr s re is app i d, Qr' he wrinkled skin, 013 7 th e g f the; e r'od s q 'a soaccount Qfanfujn ui ab .and-niQri-unito m di ribir ti nlaf lhe ne Qfcurr' nt tw the faces of h rc... so much" harm m g be done to the orgai'is" that" the remedialtsuc'cess much: hinde ed- Fmm simila reasons the application Qf-th C 9" ti led ap trodes, which, 2thfifwise'fhave extensively been used diathermictreatrnent; i. v e." of electrodes. in. thefo'rm ofthin pliable metal f s. whi are s at d- 1, th parts 9 be ted a d. pr s agains i hfe latte is, not

. ro ibls ln npl yina uch l e r d b h swam au y clq tat' a d; he f rm o p occur ed wing to t e changin and. the ab lity 9 5: th s rotu Th applicat onvfa stronger Pressur f ob i ing the la t men iqnd d a ba k s not pQss b e on ac qjunt i if ht' dan sr of ausing P ns an cf me an ally 'iu i g the a licted. gan: h se mea s are pl ed 40 in a m re or l ss abi stat c on the stratu [an steady ppli atina hichis e p "cipal. quirm nt ca ot be attain d as dis- Placeme nt of th 'i l r' tumj a d O e s e trodejsbcsurre fr qi ent y l ng c m- 'parati e y longv ati n of the r a m and, pa ula y wh n tb "pa t m v Mr er wi h the k qwni pp atu either theedge effect: can be overcome with safety nor can th e electrode be so positioned ha i i co plete y ble d rinsth s nd. th t wat hm n-e e t ode an be plate the i no i io re tely t mae stt-rode- (in Qrd t0 oid'l non-uniform d stribution of the stream ines): 1 In orderto avoidthe ed] eflect caused by A the edges,oftheelec cdes i ing pressed into shape section of the electrode.

enlargement of the swollen afllicted organ the organ by the excited mechanical pres.-

sure, apparatus has i been proposed With- Which the electrode is arranged in a non-con ductor surrounding the edges of the electrode and being flush'with the surface of the elec trode. 1 However these proposals have only been made for electrodes consisting of flat plates which cannot be used for treating the scrotum. Further with such electrodes only theedge effect caused by a mechanicalpressure can be remedied but not the edge-effect caused by the accumulation of stream lines owing to a faulty relative positionof the electrode and of the counter-electrode when 7 the electrodes get displaced during thetreatmentm These drawbacks are overcome by the ap being exerted and pain or any other incon- Venience being caused to the patient, as the scrotum fits into the cavity Without folds being formed in, its skin so that theabove ment-ioned disadvantages and injuries are completelyovercome. i p A constructional example of the subject matter of the present invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which: f Fig. 1 is a side vievv of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section along line II-,-II in Fig. '3. I I

Fig. 3fiis a' horizontal section along line III-11]: in Fig.1 and Fig. 4 shows ona larger scale across- The-apparatus comprises as a non-.conduotor a peculiarly shaped carrier body 1 made of a solid mass having the required qualities with regard to resistingheat and which can easily be disinfected t'o respond to the requirements of asepsis; A suitable mate- "rial is for instance gypsuinr. This carrier ltis' arched and the inner surface a' the scrotum taking into account an average and forms a, cavity, which on being applied contacts iththe shrotum from the left hand 7 p side; the apparatus illustrated is thus intended for a lefthand application. One of the lateral faces Z) is a plane surface and is approximately parallel to the centre line of the scrotum and at a distance of approximately 1 cm. from that line when the apparatus is in position. The other lateral. face 0 is bulged in and is intended. to bear on the upper part of the thigh and is shaped to the outline of the latter. At its lower end the inner face a joins to a face (it which is partly of a. convex and partly of a. concave shape and intended to bear partly against the perineum and partly against the body part of the patient between the upper part of the thigh and the scrotum. Finally the carrier body is provided with an outer surface 12 extending; approximately parallel to the inner face a and having its end parts desiegncd with regard to strength, the outer surface 0 does not rest on the body of the patient.

In the middle portion of the inner surface as an oval-shaped, flat, metallic electrode 2 is provided which is exactly parallel to the inner surface a and fits thus the part of the scrotum bearing against it. The size and the position of this electrode is such that it approximately bears against the epididyinis and covers the latter completely, i. e. it is somewhat larger than is absolutely necessary in order to come into contact with the region of epididymis with different individuals, as the current has to pass mainly through the epididyinis. As is shown in Fig. at the edges of the electrode are chamfered so that the surface of the electrode passes gradually into the surface (a of the carrier. Thereby results a uniform distribution of pressure over the whole surface with which the apparatus is in contact with the scrotum so that the formation of folds is completely excluded. In the middle of the electrode 2 a connecting screw bolt 8 is provided serving for fixing the electrode to the carrier and for being connected to the current supply. At the upper and lower ends of the carrier metallic pins at are provided to which the ends of a strap 5 passing around the body of the patient, of a. strap (3 passing around the upper part of the thigh and of an elastic strap T passing around the scrotum are fixed, whereby the electrode and the scrotum are nondisplaceably held in their relative positions.

As has been mentioned above the apparatus illustrated serves for a. left hand application; an apparatus for right hand application is exactly symmetrical. \Vith a two sided allliction both apparatus may be simultaneously applied whereby between the lateral faces I) a gap is present which is suliicient to adapt the two apparatus to the scrotum. In this case one of electrodes may serve counter-electrode to the other,

whilst with a one-sided application one of the usual apron-electrodes, placed for in stance on the lumbar region, is used as counter-clcctrode.

In order to be able to treat all the different individuals two or three sizes of the apparatus are sutlicient.

The electrode 2 may also be placed in any other position in the carrier when it is desired to treat other organs besides the epididyn'iis in the scrotum for instance the electrode may be placed at the edge of the inner surface it. Further the electrode may be provided with an extension following the spermatic cord.

Instead of gypsum any other non-couducting, more or less solid or elastic mate rial, foi instance vulcanized rubber, vulcanized fibre and the like may be utilized.

Obviously instead of being placed on the inner surface of the carrier the electrode may be recessed in that surface, whereby the surface of the electrode may be flush with the inner surface of the carrier or may be lower than the latter.

The above describedapparatus has been successfully utilized in practice and it permits not only an experienced specialist but also a less skilled medical man to make use of a non-dangerous diathermic treatment in curing aillictions of the scrotum.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the type described, comprising a non-conductor having a cavity the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the afilicted one half of the scrotum with which it has to contact while supporting the latter, an electrode arranged in said cavity and shaped to form with the walls of said cavity, a smooth surface, and means adapted to detacliably fix the nonconductor to the body of the patient.

2. An apparatus of the type described, comprising a non-conductor having a cavity the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the aillicted one half of the scrotum with which ithas to contact While supporting the latter, an electrode recessed in said cavity and shaped to form with the walls of said cavity a smooth surface the surface of the electrode being flush with the surface of the cavity, and means adapted to detachably fix the non-conductor to the body of the patient.

An apparatus of the type described, comprising a non-conductor having a cavity the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the alllicted one half of the scrotum with which it has to contact, while supporting the latter, an oval plate electrode arranged in said cavity and shaped to form with the walls of said cavity a smooth surface, and means adapted to detachably fix the non-conductor to the body of the patient.

d. 18,11 apparatus of the type described, comprising a carrier made of a non-con- Ill;

ductive material and having a cavity shaped to correspond to the shape of the afflicted scrotum with which it has to contact and being provided with a plane lateral face and a curved lateral face for bearing against the upper part'of the thigh, the lower part of the cavity'joining to a face shaped to contact with the with the body part between t e upper part of the thigh and the scrotum, a plate electrode arranged in said cavity and shaped to form with the walls of said cavity a smooth surface, and means adapted to detachably fix said carrier to the body of the patient. V v

5. An apparatus of the type described, comprising a carrier made of a non-conductive material and having a cavity shaped to correspond to the shape of the afllicted scrotum with which it has to contact and being provided with a plane lateralface and a curved lateral face for bearing against the upper partof the thigh, the

lowerpart of the cavity joining to a face erineum and shaped to contact with the perineum and with the body part between theupper part of the thigh and the scrotum, a' plate electrode arranged in said cavity and shaped v to correspond to the shape of the afiicted scrotum with which it has to contact, an oval plate electrode arranged in said cavity and shaped to form with the walls of said cavity a smooth surface, a screw bolt fixed to said plate electrode and serving to connect the atter to said carrier and to connect it to a source of current, and means adapted to detachably fix the non-conductor to the body I of the patient. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed by name to this specification.

' JEAN PERNET. 

